Manufacturing of products includes the automated creation and processing of parts, and the assembly of the finished product from parts. In the following description the term “component” is chosen as a general term to describe individual parts, an assembly of parts, materials such as adhesives, weld consumables or plastic to be molded, and the final product of a manufacturing process.
The Applicant in international publication WO 2014/078938 has described a method of manufacturing that uses computer numerically controlled drives to move and process components through various stages where the timing, position, orientation, linear or rotary velocity, and acceleration of the components and devices that deliver/receive components are matched. Computer numerical control of linear or drives, actuators, sensors and other devices is coordinated through programming known as “electronic camming”.
Electronic camming coordinates the actuation of multiple mechanisms through electronic controls and software. The mechanisms need not physically interact and synchronization of their motions is electronically controlled with extreme accuracy and flexibility through software interaction. Electronic camming links movements of devices through electronic means (i.e. software), conceptually in the same manner that gears, linkages, and timing chains link movements of mechanical devices together, with enhanced accuracy, control and design flexibility.
An application of electronic camming in the processing of single components or assembling of multiple components together is described in international publication WO 2014/078938 that can be summarized as follows. A first component is loaded, separated from an intake stream and accelerated. The component is delivered at a predetermined delivery time, delivery position, delivery speed and moving along a delivery trajectory to be delivered to and received by a processing tool that is also moving. The motions of the delivery device and the processing tool receiving of the component are electronically synchronized. The transfer of the component from one device to the other is coordinated and timed electronically. Through the processing or assembly process, the actuators that move the devices to handle the component are electronically cammed and synchronized together.
The same concept can be applied to each stage of a manufacturing process where separate devices have their motions coordinated through electronic camming and CNC program software. Manufacturing involves storage of material/components, motion control, and processing of material/components, for example: molding, forming, cutting, bonding, welding, stamping, dispensing, assembling, fastening; as well as inspecting, testing, measuring and rejecting failed material/components.
In many of the manufacturing stages, accurately timed and controlled movement of material and components is critical. During automated manufacturing accurate coordinated control of motion and processing activities can be provided through electronic control of actuators, servo motors, sensors, switches, valves and the like, that are linked by software.
Features that distinguish the present invention from the background art will be apparent from review of the disclosure, drawings and description of the invention presented below.